Susannah picked up some toys the kids had left on the floor and deposited them in the storage box. “Gabe and I both did one evening. Until I got reflux.”
“You think it was the tea?”
Not wanting to hurt Millie’s feelings, Susannah shrugged. “Any tea or coffee can trigger it.” So she had gone back to drinking mostly water.
Millie came back out of the powder room, looking perplexed. “But it’s caffeine-free!”
“Doesn’t seem to matter.” Susannah sighed.
Millie hung the dress back up in the closet.
“So, how are the top-secret anniversary plans going?” Susannah asked, wondering if there was anything she could do.
“Well, I...” Millie turned, suddenly looking alarmingly pale.
“Millie?” Susannah asked in alarm as the older woman lost even more color and swayed uncertainly. “Millie!”
* * *
An hour later, Gavin Monroe stopped in the doorway of the office where Gabe was reviewing files of as-yet-to-be-identified chronic illnesses.
“Hey, got a challenging case that just came into the ER.” He handed over the paperwork identified thus far.
Gabe got only as far as the name. Millie Smith. “You want me to handle this?”
Gavin reminded him, “No reason you shouldn’t, given the fact you’ve got temporary staff privileges.”
Except... Gabe tensed. “I know her.”
His friend shrugged. “So does everyone else who went to high school in Laramie County. That shouldn’t make a difference.”
It shouldn’t. Gabe knew that. A little worried about letting his personal feelings get in the way of sound judgment yet again, he rocked back in his chair and warned, “We’ve become kind of close lately.”
“Which makes you the perfect person to try and get the information out of her and Mike that will lead to the proper diagnosis and the end of their sudden heart arrhythmias.”
Both Mike and Millie were suffering from heart arrhythmias? That was unusual. Intrigued despite himself, Gabe rose. “You said she’s in the ER now?”
“Brought in by ambulance half an hour ago. We’re working to bring them down, but her heart rate and blood pressure are both still really high.”
“Who is with her?”
“Just her husband, Mike, although they mentioned Susannah Alexander will be here as soon as she gets her childcare situation straightened out.”
Determined not to let any of them down, Gabe forced himself to put aside his fear of making another mistake and headed out the door, file in hand. “I’m on it.”
“Thanks.”
Gabe found the Smiths in Exam Room 10. Millie’s face was tear streaked, and Mike looked equally shaken up. He said hello to both, explaining he’d been asked to consult on the case. “You want to tell me what happened?”
“I was over at Susannah’s and just talking with her, and suddenly I felt very, very weak, and my heart rate went out of control. I thought my heart was going to pound right out of my chest. I tried to go sit down but I didn’t make it to the chair, and I collapsed. She called 911 and here I am.” New tears appeared in Millie’s eyes.
Gabe squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Just like we did with Mike. In the meantime, I need to ask you a few questions. Did you do anything out of the ordinary this morning?”
She shook her head.
“Have any more coffee or tea than usual?”
Again, no.
He had to ask. “I know you’ve been trying to lose weight. Have you been taking any diuretics? Or over-the-counter diet aids?”
Millie met his glance equably. “No.”
“What about blood pressure medicine?” Gabe pressed.
Millie shook her head. “I don’t take anything like that,” she said straightforwardly. “My blood pressure is normally one hundred over sixty. So I don’t need it.”
“Any vomiting or diarrhea?”
“Also no.”
Gabe looked at the blood work that had just been done on the computer screen. “Your plasma renin, aldosterone and potassium are all really low, though. And—” He lifted the sheet near her feet and looked down, pressing a finger into her ankle. It left a physical dent in her skin. “I see some swelling here.”
Millie worried. “What does that mean?”
“You have pitting edema,” Gabe explained. “Which is caused by an accumulation of fluid in body tissues.”
“But you can fix all that, can’t you?” Millie asked nervously. “By giving me some bags of potassium, like you did Mike, and some meds to bring down my BP and lower my heart rate.”
“We can, but we’re going to have to admit you to the cardiac care unit to do that. And we also need to figure out why you and Mike are both suddenly having this problem,” Gabe told his former teacher kindly. “Because it’s likely the cause is linked.”
* * *
Susannah was walking into the ER just as Gabe was walking out, a set of keys in his hand.
“Up for a little sleuthing?” he said, explaining that he was about to head for Mike and Millie’s home to have a look around, to see if he could locate the cause of the couple’s strikingly similar cardiac events.
“Absolutely.” Susannah changed direction. “If you think it will help.”
Gabe fell into step beside her. “That’s what the Smiths thought you would say.”
Noting Susannah looked a little shaky—her face was as tear streaked as Millie’s had been—Gabe worked to keep his mind on the task at hand. “How about I drive?”
Her lower lip quivered, and she turned her glance away. “Please.”
While they traveled the short distance to the couple’s home, Gabe explained what they had uncovered thus far. “We ran a quick blood test on Mike before we left. Turns out his potassium, plasma renin and aldosterone are all very low right now, again, too. And his heart rate and blood pressure were elevated, too, although not as high as before. But we’re admitting him along with Millie—as a precaution.”
The color left Susannah’s face. “Oh my Lord. This is so scary!”
“They’re in good hands, Susannah. But you and I need to figure this out as quickly as we can. And I am going to need your help to find the source of what they are ingesting that is causing this.”
She bit her lower lip, and her expression turned thoughtful. “So you think it might be something they are eating or drinking?”
“Most likely. But there are other factors that could be playing into this, too. You’re with them a lot. Do you know of any changes they’ve made in their lifestyle since the summer began and Mike had his incident?”
Susannah dragged in a calming breath. “Well, they haven’t been walking as much as they usually do.”
“How much did they used to walk?”
“Six miles total every day. Three in the morning and three at night, but it’s been hot, so most days they’re lucky to get in a mile if they both feel up to it.” She shook her head in remorse. “And that is probably my fault.”
Gabe gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Why?”
“They’ve been helping me with the kids a lot more. And you know how tiring the quintuplets can be.”
“The quintuplets aren’t going to cause hypokalemia.”
She shot him a quizzical look.
“Low potassium level,” he explained.
He looked around the kitchen, at the big bowl of bananas and oranges on the counter, the peels in the trash. The bundles of fresh spinach and broccoli and red meat in the fridge. “Their diet looks healthy and potassium rich, so something else has to be bringing it down.” His expression thoughtful, he asked, “Where do they keep their medicine?”
“In this cabinet.” She brought out two plastic storage boxes, one marked Millie and one marked Mike.
Gabe we
nt through them. “Nothing here.”
Susannah sighed in frustration.
His gaze narrowed. “That sassafras tea that gave you reflux. Is Millie still drinking that?”
Susannah nodded. “By the gallon.”
“Can you find a box with the list of ingredients?”
She paused. “Maybe in the pantry.”
Gabe kept checking out the contents of the kitchen, methodically going through everything. “Mike doesn’t drink that, though, right?”
“Only if forced, and since he had his episode, she isn’t pushing it on him. She’s been making him decaf coffee instead. Which he drinks by the gallon.”
“Got any of that? So I can check the label?”
“I’ll look.” Susannah knelt to check the cabinet beneath the coffee maker.
“What about energy drinks?” Gabe continued. “Some of those can have Red Bull–like ingredients in them.”
In frustration, she checked out the fridge, then the pantry. Sighed. “I don’t see any.”
“Well, Mike must be indulging in something,” Gabe said.
Susannah brightened. “Hang on.” She moved the step stool to the far end of the counter and climbed on it to look into the top cabinet above the fridge. She pulled out a bag of candy, announcing, “Here it is! Dutch salt licorice candy coins and Australian black licorice.”
Gabe looked up from the tea label he’d been reading. “Bingo!” he said.
* * *
“So it’s been the consumption of black licorice in my tea and his candy that have been causing this?” Millie said in wonderment, half an hour later.
Gabe and Susannah stood at the end of their two hospital beds, which had been moved into the same room in the cardiac unit.
Had it been a purely social call, Gabe might have put his arm around Susannah’s waist. But because he was there as a medical professional, he remained apart from her.
“Yes. It contains glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from licorice root. Overconsumption causes abnormal heart rhythms, potassium levels to fall dangerously, high blood pressure, lethargy, muscle weakness, kidney damage and even congestive heart failure. Although I am happy to report neither of you have the two most serious complications.”
Millie and Mike exchanged worried glances. “What is the cure?” Mike asked.
Gabe advised sternly, “Stop eating or drinking anything with black licorice in it immediately. And you should both recover with no permanent health problems. You are going to have to stay in the hospital overnight again, but I think you should be able to go home tomorrow.”
Millie nodded in relief. “Thank you, Gabe. Thank you so much.”
He nodded, surprised and pleased at his own confidence, how he had handled the situation. “You’re welcome.” He flashed a brisk, professional smile. “In the meantime, promise me you two will get some rest.”
Millie chuckled. “I don’t think either of us is going to have any problem taking a nap this afternoon.”
Gabe and Susannah walked out. Although the medical mystery had been solved, a recovery plan put in place, she still looked as if even the faintest breeze would knock her over.
“Where are the kids?”
Her hand trembled slightly as she removed her phone from her purse and checked for messages. There were none. “One of the other moms from the multiples club has them for the day.” She stared at the cell phone screen. “I guess I should call her and go pick them up.”
“You could,” Gabe agreed, aware she still appeared as if her entire world were crashing down on her. “Or,” he added gently, aware the older couple weren’t the only ones who needed some tender loving care right now, “you could have some lunch with me and let yourself recover from what has been a very, very stressful morning.”
To his disappointment, she looked as reluctant as she was tempted. “I don’t think I could sit in a restaurant.”
He persisted. “So we’ll get takeout and bring it back to my place.”
Meeting his eyes, she released a breath. “You can leave the hospital?”
This time he did touch her, taking her hand. “I’m on flex time.” He squeezed her fingers reassuringly. “As long as I review all the cases they ask me to look at in a timely fashion, I’m good.”
Her slender shoulders relaxed. “Then I accept your offer.”
* * *
Susannah sat in the car and tried to collect herself while Gabe went into the restaurant to pick up their order. When they drove back to his temporary home, they unpacked the bags, got out the plates and silverware, and sat down at the dark ebony kitchen island with their meals.
“You’re awfully quiet.” He took a bite of his brisket sandwich.
She toyed with her smoked turkey on Texas toast. “I know. I’m sorry. I keep seeing Millie turn white, clasp her chest and then slowly crumple onto the floor.”
“Were the kids upset?”
Guilt flooded her. “Initially, yes, because Mike and I were. But when the EMTs got there with the fire truck, two of the firemen took them out to see the big engine and the inside of an ambulance. They let them try on their hats and talked about how much fun Millie was going to have riding in the ambulance with Mike, so by the time they had her loaded up on the stretcher and ready to go, the kids were completely excited for her and able to wave goodbye.”
Gabe smiled, as if envisioning the kids and all she had described. “Yeah, Laramie County has a great emergency services department.”
“They do.”
Looking into her eyes, Gabe persisted, “So...what’s worrying you?”
Without warning, the tears she’d been holding back for several hours got the better of her. And suddenly, she needed him as never before. The way she had been fearing she would need him one day. “Oh, Gabe,” she choked out.
He pushed off his stool, stood and pulled her into his arms. “Hey,” he said fiercely, pressing his face into her hair and wrapping his arms around her. “Let it out, sweetheart. Let it all out.”
And she did.
In the comfort of his arms, pressed against his big, strong body, she let the tears fall and the sobs come, hard and fast and embarrassingly loud. Until finally, there was no more grief and fear left, and the tears were reduced to a slow, steady stream.
“I’m sorry you were scared,” he whispered, still stroking her hair. “I wish I’d been there.”
“You are here.” She wept some more. “That’s what is killing me. I’m starting to depend on you the way I already depend on Millie and Mike. And the kids are, too. I mean, I know you’re leaving.” She wiped her face and tried to get herself together. “I get it. I accept it. I know it’s the right thing for you. And I want that for you, I do. I just... I’m scared for me, and the kids, and what will happen when something really does happen to Mike and Millie. Because we depend on them, too. So much.”
“So maybe,” Gabe said gruffly, pulling back so she had no choice but to look into his eyes, “it’s time you started depending on me for more than just this summer.”
Chapter Fourteen
Blinking hard, Susannah stared up at him. Was this some kind of proposal? Because if it was... Ignoring the butterflies jumping around in her stomach, she asked, “What are you talking about?”
“They need a father, Susannah,” Gabe told her softly, all the affection and protectiveness she had ever wanted to see in his eyes.
Their gazes locked. “So they won’t be forever dependent on just you,” he went on to say. “And so that you won’t have to worry that they’ll end up orphaned one day, the way you and I suddenly were.”
The pain of remembered grief glimmered in his eyes. “I mean, it could still happen. But the chances are much less if the kids have two parents, ready and willing to take on the challenge of loving them into adulthood.”
He made
a solid argument, one she had wished to see enacted many times, never more so than by him. “You would do that for them?”
He took in her hopeful expression. “And for you. Of course I would.” Then, stepping close enough that she could feel his body heat, his voice dropped a husky notch. “Don’t you know by now how much I care about all of you?”
If she hadn’t, she certainly would have known the moment he took her back in his arms and kissed her. The feel of his lips on hers sent a jolt of electricity through her that brought her to life and tantalized her insides. Moaning, she wrapped her arms about his shoulders and kissed him back, letting him know everything she felt, everything she wanted, everything she could give him in return.
He flattened his hand down her spine, bringing her up against his hard-muscled thighs and the proof of his desire for her. The fiery intimacy of the contact robbed her of breath as the demanding feel of him scorched through her clothes. If this was what it was like now, she thought as he danced her toward his bedroom, heaven knew what it would be like when they got to the good stuff. She was combusting from the inside out as it was...
Gabe hadn’t brought her there to make love with her. But now that she was showing herself amenable, he was just as hot and bothered as she was. Still kissing her ravenously, he took full possession of her lips, then moved to her ear, the nape of her neck. One hand found her breasts through the thinness of her cotton top and bra. Her nipples budded against his palms. Then she was pushing her hands under the waistband of his scrubs as his fingers slipped beneath the elastic edge of her panties to find her warm, wet heat. She arched against him, trembling, swaying slightly. Smiling at her responsiveness, he shifted her over onto the bed, lay down and stretched out beside her. Then bent his head to kiss her again, undressing her slowly, deliberately, letting his fingers and lips and tongue do their magic again. Driving her as crazy as she was driving him. Taking possession. Showing her just how potent and pleasurable a relationship between them could be. Would be. If they remained together in a way that suited them both.
His Plan for the Quintuplets Page 17